Wren's Song
by DreamWeaver02
Summary: I've been brought to Hueco Mundo to be Aizen's tool. But a tool is what you use when you’re unable to do something by yourself. So what could I possibly do that this all-powerful man couldn’t? Eventual UlquiorraXOC this will have PLOT DEVELOPMENT
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note: So… this idea has been flitting in and out of my head for a while. I've already got the whole story laid out, so I hope to keep working on this. This is an OC fanfic. So if OCs aren't really your cup of tea, then don't read. Still, I would like to recommend you try it out; I promise it isn't a Mary Sue.

All words in Japanese will be italicized (assuming I can get to cooperate…). I'll be providing a glossary at the end of every chapter for them in case you're not too familiar with the Japanese language. English words are italicized for emphasis. Japanese words will be emphasized by bolding (since they're already italicized).

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Wren's Song: Chapter 1

Needless, to say, I was having a bad day. A bad day that was now turning into a bad year. I checked my phone again to make sure I wasn't crazy. The conversation I just had really did happen. Pain ripped a hole in my chest only to fill it with anger, as my eyes filled with tears. A couple drops began to fall, but I swiftly wiped them away.

It would have at least been nice if he broke up with me while I was still in the states.

But no. My boyfriend - er – _ex-_boyfriend managed to wait until I was here in Japan. He said he wasn't _'able to handle the distance'._ I think he didn't _want_ to handle the distance. We'd done long distance relationships before, and we had survived. Now, I couldn't help but wonder what his real reason was. Did he just… stop loving me? Or had this been happening for a long time without my noticing it? Flurries of questions were going through my head. _Why, why, why._

So, here I was, in a country where I didn't really know the language very well, single, lonely, and trapped here for a year. This is all because I thought it would be a great idea to sign up for the JET program, Japanese English Teaching abroad. I don't even really want to be a teacher. I actually want to be an opera singer (Yeah, that's right.) I signed up for this program because it seemed like an easy way to travel some place new and make money at the same time.

Where did that land me?

Here in Karakura Town.

It was on the outskirts of Tokyo, which was good… but my language skills are limited, and therefore so is my traveling. Karakura Town itself wasn't exactly invigorating. It was simple… shops here and there, houses, schools… There were some good hang out places, but they mainly attracted the high school crowd, which was a little young for my taste. Probably the most interesting thing about this place was the constant stream of weird happenings on the news. People disappearing, buildings being leveled with no known cause… I somehow managed to land myself in the one freak show place on the _Nihon_ map. It wasn't the first time something like this has happened… I have a habit of landing myself in weird places and situations.

It wasn't always so bad. I actually was really enjoying it, being able to do all the sightseeing. What killed me (before my ex broke up with me five minutes ago) was the place I've been stationed to work at. Despite being a native English speaker, they don't ask for my help at all. I have tons of time to waste. I remember my mom saying to me on the phone,_ "It sounds like a great deal. You don't want to teach, but you're getting paid anyway. You're making money without actually working. Just enjoy the paid vacation."_

The thing is that I don't operate that way. I _like_ having work to do; I like to feel like I'm useful. Or at least welcome enough to participate in the lifestyle here. I've only been here for a month, but I'm already getting the feeling that the Japanese staff around me are looking forward to my departure. In the meantime, the students here are lifeless drones in class, proving high school is the same _everywhere_. There aren't any other JET people here at my school, so I'm left to stick it out by myself. All I have to rely on are the much more positive anecdotes of other JETs, which leaves me frustrated and full of envy. Not to mention, being a _gaijin_ has gotten me plenty of good stares and not enough good friendships. It's not that I don't get along with people at all… but I'm very aware that I'm an outsider, a minority, and I'm not entirely welcome in the culture.

Having my boyfriend back in the states had really helped me stay positive. Sure, I may get a little bit of racism from some people, but at least I had him to talk to on the phone at night. We had been together for a long time, and he provided me with a foundation. I knew there was a home for me when I got back. But now, that foundation has been shaken, broken, and ripped out from under me. Even if I were to go back to the U.S. right now, it wouldn't be the same.

So, here I am, sitting in a café at ten o' clock, sniffing pitifully over a cold cup of tea. I didn't know how long I had been sitting there, but apparently it was too long. The store keeper came over to my table and kindly informed me that they were closing. I could understand a little of what she said, which was slightly encouraging… but I wasn't in the mood to be encouraged.

I packed up my things, and headed outside into the heavy, humid evening. The Typhoon season had ended, but the heavy clouds still lingered, trapping the heat. I already despise heat as is… but heat with humidity is a recipe for disaster. The only plus side was that it was warm enough that people were still walking around at this hour (less likelihood of getting mugged). The major downside was that most of these people were happy couples taking late night walks together. I felt my gut give another twist. New tears were already brimming at my eyes and escaping down my cheeks. I hadn't felt this alone in a long, long time. I wanted to avoid all signs of happiness, and wallow in depression.

I walked down the street to go home, knowing that I'd have to hurry to catch the train in time. Across the street there was a big park with plenty of street lamps and benches. I knew if I cut through it, I would make the train that much faster, so that's what I did. I looked both ways, and then sprinted. Rain started to pour. It happened so suddenly, that in a matter of seconds I was already drenched. Fan-_fucking_-tastic. I obviously didn't have an umbrella on me.

I went to one of the nearby trees, and leaned against it, while the leaves and branches above me collected the water that was pouring down. Every now and then a giant drop would splatter onto my head or shoulder, but it was still better than the alternative. I didn't know how long it would take to subside, but I could already tell that I would be missing the first train. Might as well wait it out, until I know when the next one will be coming.

The yellow lamplight became almost a haze as the rain pelted down even heavier. I could see the light reflecting off of the raindrops, making them look like snow. I sighed, and slid down to a crouching position with my back against the tree. I pulled up the length of my coat into my lap to keep it from touching the ground. Keeping me coat clean was at least something relatively within my control. I'll be damned if I let another thing go wrong in my life.

The rain produced such a droning hum of sound, that I didn't notice anyone near me. It wasn't until the flash of white caught my attention out of the corner of my eye that I jumped up and turned to face it.

Before me there was a very… strange looking man. He was wearing white _hakama_ pants tied on with a black _obi__. _For his top half, he wore a uniquely styled white coat that had long coattails. His pale skin was almost as white as the clothing he wore.

The first thing that struck me as odd (besides his not-so-modern attire) was his eyes. They were looking right at me, as if he had been searching for me. Emerald green pierced right into every nook and cranny of my being, and I shivered. Was it fear? Anticipation? I couldn't tell. The second thing I noticed was that he was completely dry. Despite the pouring rain, he didn't have a single drop on him. His hair wasn't matted down, and… was he wearing half of a helmet?? What was the point of that? Does he frequently fall on his left side a lot…??

"_Onna_." I snapped out of my reverie when I realized he was talking to me. I stared at his face, his eyes, and I looked curiously at the lines going down his cheeks.

Normally I would label a person of his description as a lost cosplaying emo boy on his way home from an anime convention. But I knew - I don't know how, but I_ knew _- that not only was he older than he probably looked, but he also had an energy about him. It made my skin tingle, and the air crackle. Maybe it was that mystical energy that kept him so dry while I looked like a drowned rat.

"Are you talking to me?" I asked. Dumb question. I knew he was. I was the only one here, and he was _still _staring at me.

"Aizen-sama requests your presence." He stated. As if I should know exactly who he was talking about. "_Kuru_."

"…….um…. what?" I understood what he said, but my body instinctively took a step back. My brain hadn't caught up with my actions yet, but I knew something was obviously wrong.

"_Come._" He stated with a little more insistence. His eyes narrowed at me, as he took a step forward.

I began to step away from the tree towards the lamplight. I had to get away from him. As long as I was in the light, as long as someone could possibly see me…

Then he was right in front of me. I didn't even see it happen. A brief scream escaped my lips as I tripped over my heels and began to fall back. Before my scream even finished he took hold of my wrist, spun me around so my back was against him, and he had his cold hand over my mouth.

"You don't have a choice." He stated.

Then the sky opened up. And I'm not talking about the clouds. I mean it literally. He took me through it.

The next thing I knew, I was being literally dropped onto a cold, hard floor. I landed on my side, and my limbs stung from the impact. I struggled to push myself up.

"Well done, Ulquiorra." I heard a smooth voice say.

There was no response from my kidnapper as he stood near me. My eyes followed from his feet to his face, where he glanced down at me briefly with a complete lack of interest. He looked back up ahead of him and put his hands in his pockets.

"Welcome to Hueco Mundo," said the voice. I didn't push myself entirely off the floor. Instead, I scuttled back on my heels and stared ahead of me.

Some distance away, there was a man with slick brown hair sitting on a throne. This throne was raised up high above the floor on a platform of stone. He had two men with him standing abreast. One had very light hair and the most evil gleam of a smile I'd ever witnessed, and the other was dark skinned with badly designed sunglasses. It was the strangest image I'd ever seen…

Then, my eyes took in the rest of the space. It was huge and dark. It was like we were in a great hall, and I had no idea where this place was. Behind me there were a group of individuals, mostly men, all dressed in white. Everyone here was dressed in white. Everything here was monochrome, except for their hair and skin. Blue, blonde, brown, pink... they stared at me, some with boredom, some with interest, and some… my eyes locked with a venomous looking man with an eye patch and sleek black hair. He was tall, lean… and he grinned at me displaying a collection of big teeth, like a predator mocking its prey.

Terrified, I jumped up and got as close as I could to the closest person to me, the only person I knew so far… the man with the green eyes (I'd already forgotten his name). He was no comfort himself. He simply stared at me with that look of his, and then looked ahead again.

I was completely alone.

"W-where am I??" I stuttered. I hugged my coat to myself, as if it would provide any sort of protection.

A chuckle rose from the throne behind me. "As I said…" he stood. "Welcome to Hueco Mundo."

"_Bakana_," I heard someone spit behind me. I could tell who probably said it, but I turned on instinct and once again was facing the man with the eye patch. He was still grinning. My breath quickened, as _real _panic began to settle in. I was trapped. I didn't know what they wanted. What did they want?? What is and _where_is Hueco Mundo? Who are these people?? Question after question seemed to fill my lungs, stealing my air. I couldn't breathe anymore.

I began to take shaky steps backward, anything to put distance between me and this creature in front of me. I had nowhere to run, I knew that… but my body was aching to try.

I passed the man who brought me here as I continued to step backwards. His eyes shifted from the throned man to me. The next thing I knew, I was spun around facing the front again, his hard fingers gripping my arm, not letting go. He held me there, and I was stilled by his strength. I knew why he held onto me… I couldn't run, I couldn't fall, crawl, anything. I was only able to stand there.

The man beckoned us towards him with a wave of his hand. The one holding me obeyed, half walking half dragging me forward with him. As we got closer, the platform and throne seemed to get bigger and taller. This must have been who he was talking about. This… _Aizen-sama__._

"You have been brought here to serve me." Aizen said it like it was completely natural. "You have a power that I need to fulfill my goal."

"And what goal is that?" I demanded with a shaky voice.

He chuckled. "There's no need to get into such details now. Do you explain to a knife why you are using it to cut?"

"… I'm a tool?" I said, completely confused. A tool is what you use when you're unable to do something by yourself. So what could I do that this all-powerful man couldn't?

A serene smile played across his lips. "Exactly."

"She catches on quick, don't she?" commented the grinning light haired man.

"Indeed." Aizen agreed.

"I think you've made a mistake." I quivered. "I don't have any power."

"On the contrary, Hughes-san, you do. You just don't realize it yet." He stated.

I sputtered. "H… how do you know my name?"

"I know more than just your name. I've been observing you for some time, watching your power while it sleeps in you."

I narrowed my eyes. He's got to be kidding. Look at me! I could barely keep myself together in this place, and he's saying I have power. My muscles tensed under the green-eyed man's grasp.

"I think you've made a mistake." I repeated. My voice was small and pathetic compared to his, but my tone was honest. Anyway, the sooner this was established, the sooner I would go home. Wake up. Something. _Anything_ except being here in this place.

His eyes narrowed, and I tried to shrink back behind my captor. "Is that so?" In a flash he was back at his throne, with his eyes closed serenely. He snapped his fingers. "Nnoitra…"

In an instant, the man holding me released me and disappeared. The sudden change in weight and strength threw me off balance, and I stumbled to the floor. Again. I looked around bewildered, and saw him standing some distance away with the rest of the group behind me. How did he…?

I didn't have time to dwell on it. My eyes shifted to the man with the eye patch as he took a step forward. His grin widened, his eyes narrowed. It clicked. This was Nnoitra. And Aizen had just commanded him to do something.

Almost as if he could read my thoughts, Aizen spoke. "If you're not who you say you are, then we don't need you. You are disposable."

My stomach dropped to the floor, and a wave of dizziness and nausea hit my like a freight train. "No… don't…"

It happened so quickly. Nnoitra advanced with sudden speed (and even then I could tell it wasn't his fastest), and I stumbled back. I raised my hands in automatic defense, but he never reached me.

It only took a few seconds, but I remember every detail. Blackness began to form not around me, but _in_ me. I could feel it, the heat and the cold at the same time, both burning my soul. The blackness spread out and I could see it in my vision, creating an orb around me, swirling. I could only see flashes of my surroundings as the black mass spun around me in a circle, expanding, getting larger... I could see Nnoitra rushing at me, hand extended to crush me. _'__No… don't come…__' _I thought. The hand was the first thing that came into contact with the blackness. It turned to darkness, absorbed into it, breaking into black chunks that disappeared…

I could hear him scream. The sound of the agony buried itself deep into my brain, and I knew it would be ricocheting in my memory for all time. It was pure destruction. _I _was pure destruction.

"_NO!!__"_ I screamed desperately, and immediately the black disappeared like vapor.

There I stood, clutching my own throat, my body drenched in a cold sweat. An exhaustion fell on me, and I struggled not to fall to my knees. Every ounce of my energy was gone. And there crouched Nnoitra, clutching his arm. His hand was completely gone… nothing but a black stub left at the forearm. He was livid, and I felt a weight, a power, fluctuate and begin to crush me. My lungs constricted, my skin seemed to flatten against my muscles, my bones began to ache…

"_TEMAE__…"_ he cursed, his eyes on me. I had never felt that kind of a look; I knew instantly that he wanted me dead, and he wanted to be the one to do it. And he would do it slowly, painfully…

"That's enough, Nnoitra." Aizen said placidly. Gradually the crushing energy began to subside, and I realized that it was _his_ energy. Nnoitra was incredibly powerful, and yet he obeyed Aizen. That meant that Aizen must be even _more_ powerful. My brain couldn't wrap around it. "Ulquiorra," he requested, and the man who kidnapped me stepped forward. Ulquiorra. It was only the second time I'd heard his name, but I knew I would remember it. "Please bring Inoue-san here. I believe Nnoitra would like his hand back."

Ulquiorra bowed. "_Hai_." And he walked out of the great hall.

"It appears that you were mistaken." Aizen stated. I turned to watch him. "You are the tool that I need."

"What did…. you do to me?" I demanded as I gasped and gulped for air. "What… just happened?"

Aizen chuckled. "You're quite tenacious. I didn't do anything to you. You've just never had to actualize your powers until now."

"What _are_ my powers??"

"It's called _shibou bunya__. _Death field." He stated. "A very powerful ability."

"Death… field?" Well, doesn't that just sound _pleasant_…

"Hn. For now, it exposes itself when you're afraid. When you feel that your life is threatened. I noticed your fear of Nnoitra the second you came here. Even before you may have noticed it yourself." He gave a pleased glance at the glaring, agonizing man behind me. "I believe he noticed it as well. You should be careful not to entice him."

No, I certainly wouldn't want to do that…

"You must feel tired now. It was your first time, yet you put on a lovely display," he sighed. I was still struggling to catch my breath. Suddenly, Aizen's pleasant demeanor disappeared and his face seemed to darken. He looked… calculating. "Your ability is immature, and you are inexperienced. But with time, we will learn to control it."

Control it…? He meant control _me__._

Suddenly his face lightened again and he looked past me. "Ahh, welcome Inoue-_san_."

I turned to face the only other remotely human person here. A girl, maybe in her late teens, with orangish hair and gray-blue eyes. Ulquiorra was standing behind her. Immediately, like a moth to the flame, she spotted Nnoitra on the ground kneeling, cradling his arm. A gasp escaped her lips, and she looked around the room to find the cause. Her eyes locked with mine and she understood. She knew that it was me, and yet she didn't fear me. Instead her eyes were full of pity, and immediately we knew we were here for the same purpose. But I didn't know what the overall purpose was.

"Why do you need my powers?" I asked, as I turned around.

Aizen ignored me. "Inoue-san, we've had a small incident, and we need your abilities." He motioned with his hand towards Nnoitra.

She hesitated at first, but then stepped forward, her eyes apathetic. She kneeled down next to Nnoitra, and raised her hands over his wound. I watched as she spoke. "_Soten Kisshun_. I reject."

A yellow light flashed from her hair pins, and then there was a shield over Nnoitra's arm. I watched in fascination as his hand slowly came back, the black stump growing and growing, the blackness fading back into pale flesh. A chill went down my spine.

As soon as she was done and removed the shield, Nnoitra stood up with such swiftness that it knocked her on her back. I wanted to go help her up, but I couldn't move. I didn't want to get any closer to _him__._ She stood up and dusted herself off, as if this was a regular occurrence. Maybe it was. I was not looking forward to that fact.

I turned to Aizen again with a new question. "How does it work?"

His smile spread across his thin lips. "Orihime or yourself?"

I paused. "Both."

"The two of you are two sides of the same coin." He explained. "She has the ability to reject what has happened. She can, in a sense, reverse time." I glanced at her in awe. "You, on the other hand, are the opposite. You speed up time. Whatever your power touches speeds up time for that object so quickly that it is destroyed." His eyes narrowed into a happy gleam. "You bring death."

Something sank in my chest. "Talk about getting the short end of the stick…" I commented. Not the best response, but humor is my coping mechanism.

Aizen gave a hearty laugh. It was unnerving. "Yes, very tenacious indeed. We can continue this conversation another time. But for now, there is business to attend to. Ulquiorra, please take Inoue-san and Hughes-san to their rooms. And be sure to get Hughes-san a change of clothes."

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Japanese glossary:

_Nihon_ Japan

_Gaijin _Foreigner

_Onna _ Woman (plain form; can be insulting when said to a stranger)

_Kuru_ Come (plain form; also considered rude)

_Bakana_ Idiot

_Temae_ Insulting form of 'you' (similar to bitch)

_Hai _ yes

_Shibou Bunya_Death Field (as explained in the chapter)

_Soten Kisshun_Orihime's healing power "Twin Heavenly Returning Shield"

Author's Note: Okay, that's the first chapter. Please let me know what you think; I think the story will continue to be told through her perspective, at least for right now.


	2. Chapter 2

Here's chapter 2… thanks for the reviews you gave me, I'm glad you're interested in it. My apologies if it moves a little slow through some parts… character development is a sticky business, and I don't want to rush it. I want to make sure my character has time to adjust, while I have time to adjust writing my character. XD I hope that makes sense, lol.

BTW, I forgot to mention this, but I'm going to try to make this work with the Arrancar arc as best as I can. So while Ulqi isn't present, he's probably busy getting slapped by Orihime, kicking Ichigo butt, etc. (But that stuff won't happen until later anyway, so… we'll all have to be patient.) I'm still working out some kinks in the plot…

Anyway, enjoy!

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Chapter 2

The girl called Inoue and I followed behind Ulquiorra as he took us out of the great hall and into the blinding white of the hallway, causing me to squint my eyes. I looked at her outfit… a white long dress that opened up in the front to show long _hakama_ pants, with a long cape in the back. Her outfit fit with everything else in this place… I wonder if she wore it by choice, or out of requirement. I wanted to talk to the girl walking next to me. Ask her questions. Find out everything I could from her, before we were separated. How long has she been here? Does she know why she's here? Does she know Aizen's purpose?

But I didn't ask for a number of reasons. First off, Ulquiorra was right in front of us. I didn't know what his personality was like… if he was anything like Nnoitra when it came to temper or violence. Sure he seemed calm now… but what if I did something he didn't want me to? Second off, I was _still_ exhausted. I shuffled my feet as I walked, and my shoulders were slumped. My brown boots made clip-clop sounds on the floor that echoed off the walls.

'Inoue-san' was the one to talk first. "What's your name?" she asked me.

I looked up with surprise. "Um… Wrenn… Wrenn Hughes. You?"

"Inoue Orihime." She said with a kind smile. I noted how she listed her last name first in classic Japanese fashion. "Where are you from? You're not Japanese."

"No… I'm not. Um, I'm from America. New York, actually."

I watched the man escorting us, and he made no effort to silence our questions. Perhaps he was gathering his own information through letting us talk. Orihime continued. "Waa… they went all the way to New York to capture you?"

"Uh, no… I was in Karakura Town. I'm in Japan for the JET program. I help teach English. Or at least I'm supposed to." I grumbled. Granted, at the moment I would give anything to be bored out of my mind at work.

"Wow… I'm from Karakura Town!" she exclaimed. "And so is Ichigo, Chad, Uryuu…"

I nearly stopped in my tracks. "Wait, there are others??" I exclaimed. "How many?"

"Oh. Well, they're not here. But…" A sad far off look came across her eyes and she fell into silence. I wanted to shake her out of it, but instead I looked ahead and kept walking.

We had taken so many turns that I didn't have any idea where we were anymore. How big was this place??

"What's Hueco Mundo?" I asked her.

"It's where the Hollows live." She explained.

"….Hollows?" I furrowed my brow. "What are Hollows?"

She pointedly looked at Ulquiorra's back in silence. I glanced and turned back to look at her. I whispered as quietly as I could. "He's a hollow??"

"He can hear you…" she responded, a slight redness coming across her cheeks.

Right then, Ulquiorra turned on us. "That's enough. _Onna_."

Both Orihime and I responded through our body language – a straightening of the back, our eyes on him. We both took note of it.

He was looking at Orihime. "Return to your room." He opened a door on his right (our left) and Orihime gave me a last glance and walked into the room. He closed the door behind her. He turned his green eyes onto me. "You. Follow me."

I began to walk behind him as he led me away from her door. "Where are you taking me?" I asked.

"You need new clothes." He stated with his hands in his pockets. He seemed completely at ease.

"No I don't." I replied. The clothes on my back were the last vestiges of something normal. I didn't want to give them up.

"You don't have a choice." He replied as he stopped outside a room.

"You have a habit of saying that." I shot at him.

He stared at me for a moment, and then opened the door. Inside was a bathroom, the tub already filled with water.

"You are to clean yourself and change into the new set of clothes." He explained, pointing to a neatly folded pile of white on a stool nearby. "You will have twenty minutes. I'll be entering when you're time is up, and you'll be taken to your room."

I didn't want to bathe, but his words left no room for argument. I entered, and he closed the door behind me. I heard the sound of a latch falling down. Everywhere I went I was completely trapped. I sighed and looked around the room. The tub was sunk into the floor, the water inside steaming with heat. On the edge of the tub was a collection of oils and soaps all resting on top of a towel. Against the right wall was a single white vanity with a large mirror. On its counter was a collection of hair brushes, lotions, and other post-bathing supplies.

Not even my bathroom at home was this stocked with stuff. It wasn't nearly this nice, either. But instead of making me feel comfortable, it made me even more wary, more nervous. I felt that I was being treated well because I was so valuable. For now. But what happened when I wasn't needed anymore?

I walked in front of the vanity mirror and stared at my reflection. I was paler than usual, most likely from the shock. Or maybe the lack of color in this place reflected in my face. My normally chestnut brown hair was limp with water and sweat, and I could see why I was being told to clean myself. I looked like a wreck. My normally light green eyes looked grey, and I could see the dark circles under them. Were they like that before I came here? I don't remember paying so much attention to myself in the mirror before. Every article of my clothing was as limp as my hair, simple dangling on my exhausted form. My white blouse was now stained with dirt, my brown knee-length skirt was wrinkled and torn, and my knee-high brown boots were scuffed. My tan coat hung off of one shoulder.

I really did look like a drowned mouse.

I began to peel off my layers, and lay them in a pile next to the edge of the bathtub. I got in as quickly as I was stripped, self conscious of possibly being watched. I didn't know how much time I had spent looking at everything, so I bathed as quickly as I could. The soaps and shampoos didn't smell like anything I owned, and it made me even more anxious. It was like I was washing away all the existence of the life I had a couple of hours before I came here.

I finished as quickly as I could and dried off. I wrapped the towel around myself and walked to the clothing on the stool. The first item I picked up was a pair of white _hakama_ with a black _obi_, just like what I'd seen Ulquiorra wear. The second item must have been the top half my outfit. I stared at it. What the…? What was it? How was I supposed to put it on?? I found the collar and held it up so the fabric fell the way it was supposed to. It was long, almost a dress but not quite. It looked like a halter-top dress, but more conservative. The neckline was high. It would go to the middle of my throat. The back of the top was open, but the back of the neck collar transformed into a long flowing cape that would cover me. Thank God. I would ideally like to show as little skin as possible. The top would go down to my hips, and then it would split in half with two long trails of the white fabric going down my front and down my back. Great. Like they couldn't find me something more complicated. I stared at the front again. I noticed a long black lining going down the middle of the front from the collar to the end of the front tail, and realized it was a zipper. Thank God.

Once I had the top half on, I started to put on the _hakama_. Then I realized. I didn't know how to. Hakama pants aren't just something you slip into. There's a method to it all, and I don't have a clue what that method 's not exactly something they teach you on your first day of work in Japan.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. Before I could even respond, Ulquiorra walked in. Thank God I was mostly dressed. I clutched the _hakama_ to my hips underneath the top's draping fabric.

"You're not finished." He stated with slight annoyance. I looked at him uncomfortably. "Is there a problem with your attire?"

I clutched my clothing to myself even tighter. "I don't know how to…" I gave a pointed glance at my _hakama _and the black _obi_ that lay on the stool.

"You don't know how to wear _hakama_." He offered.

"No one's ever taught me." I explained in my defense.

He closed the distance between the two of us. "Turn around."

"You've got to be kidding me." I protested.

"I can either show you how to do it correctly, or you can walk through the halls wearing only a top. It's your choice."

Walk through the halls exposing my hips and legs?? He provided a convincing argument. I turned around, and braced my hands on the counter of the vanity.

So, he started to help me. He lifted my cape and the back half of my top and had me hold them while he adjusted my _hakama _on my hips. He lifted the back part using the straps and tied it around the front of my midsection over my ribs to keep it up. Then he turned me around and lifted the front half of the waist up as well, and began to wrap the strings around me.

I was very aware of his proximity. I had to avoid getting hit in the face by the horn of his helmet a couple of times, and I growled in frustration. "Can't you take that thing off?" I asked.

"Take what off?"

"Your half… helmet… thing."

"It doesn't come off." He said icily. I blanched at his tone, and clamped my mouth shut.

His motions were quick and to the point. He didn't linger, which was good. The last person to linger in this area of my body was my boyfr- _ex_boyfriend (damn it.) He untied the back strings that were crisscrossed over my ribcage and wrapped them around my waist as well. Then he added the _obi_, wrapping that around my waist on top of the tied portion of the _hakama_.

I was probably a head shorter than him, my eyes at the same level as his neck, which was covered by his collar. "Does it bother you having your neck covered?" I asked absently, as I tugged at my own tight collar. I hated turtlenecks or anything like it… I felt like I was constantly being choked. I let the zipper down a little bit, so could breathe without feeling nauseated.

He glanced down at me with slight surprise. "No. Why?"

"Just curious."

He stepped away. "You're finished. Remember how it was done. I won't show you again."

I forced out a 'thank you' through clenched teeth. What a jerk.

If he noticed how irate I was, he didn't show it. "Follow me." He ordered.

He led me out of the bathroom, leaving my clothes behind for who knows what reason. Maybe to burn them, for all I knew. He walked me down the hall, and within a couple of turns, we were standing outside a plain door. It looked just like every other door in these hallways, and that didn't comfort me one bit.

I don't know what I was expecting. Maybe a decrepit cell with no light and a flea filled cot in a corner. A pathetic hole of a toilet. But when he opened the door, I was greeted with a rather large room. There was a large square rug that reminded me of the oriental rugs in my grandmother's house. Stiff, dusty, slightly itchy… Only this one had no elaborate pattern. It was completely plain. To the left was a large couch with a couple of square pillows, large enough to sleep on if I needed to. There was a simple chair and a round end table right next to it. Everything was white. It was sparse and depressing, but I was thankful for that much.

Moonlight poured into the room, and it comforted me to see something familiar. Long bars of light and shadow fell across the floor from the barred window, almost reaching to our feet.

"This is where you'll be staying." He announced. "Food will be brought to you periodically."

I waited for him to tell me anything else. But he didn't. He just stood there, waiting for me to enter the room. "… Is there anything else?" I asked.

"No. Should there be?" he replied. "You're only purpose is to serve Aizen-sama."

I took a couple of steps into the room. "Apparently Aizen wan-"

"You shall refer to him as Aizen-sama."

"Excuse me." I shot at him icily. "Apparently Aizen-_sama_ wants me to be bored to death."

"It is no concern of mine or his if you cannot entertain yourself, _onna_." This guy really pissed me off. What an attitude. If I knew it would hurt him, I would hit him across the face. But something about that ivory skin of his told me it would be like hitting marble. I decided against it.

He turned on his heel to leave. "Don't do anything rash." He added. And the door shut behind him.

The sound echoed off the walls. This was it. I was completely alone, and forever in a state of fear. I wondered how long it would take for my coworkers in Karakura Town to notice my disappearance. Even so, they will never find me. Not in this place. Not ever. All of the resolve I was holding in to protect myself fell apart. I fell apart. Without taking anymore steps into the room, I collapsed onto my knees and began to cry. I tried to keep my sobbing short and quiet, but it wouldn't stop. It was the only thing I was able to do in this place. I cried until I couldn't breathe, until I was coughing on my own tears, until I couldn't even think anymore. And then I fell asleep. I never even made it to the couch.

I woke up to the door being opened behind me, cascading that eerily bright white light onto my collapsed form, intruding through my eyelids. I slowly began to push myself up. My body felt as stiff as driftwood.

"You're still in the same spot." commented the all-too-familiar voice of my new babysitter. "Have you not moved since I left?"

I stood up without answering him, and walked myself to the couch, where I curled up against the side farthest from him, and wrapped my cloak around myself. My entire body ached, and a piercing headache was forming right behind my eyes. I was not feeling well at all.

He stood there, and I couldn't tell if he was just observing me and thinking to himself, or if he was waiting for a response. I can't stand being watched, so I finally spoke. "I feel very tired… and weak." Something about that sentence made me feel strange... maybe it was how honest it was.

"It seems logical." He replied. "You expended a massive amount of energy last night. It's very reckless. It's clear you're an amateur with your powers."

"Is there anything that can come out of your mouth without being an insult??" I snapped at him. The moment the words slipped from my mouth, I regretted it. What was he going to do to me now? There's no way one of these people would let me speak to them in such a way. Then his words fully registered. "Wait… last night?" I glanced out the window. It was still nighttime, and the moonlight hadn't changed it's spot on the floor. "But it's still dark outside…"

"It's always dark in Hueco Mundo." He explained. He looked at me with what seemed like faded curiosity. "You don't know anything about this place, do you?"

"No. I don't." I replied. If I knew, I wouldn't be asking him questions…

He didn't pursue the subject. It probably wasn't important enough to him. After all, why did it matter if I knew anything or not? I was a captive here, not a guest.

He stepped aside from the entrance. "_Haire_." I watched as a thin woman with a white bone mask over her head rolled in a tray with covered dishes on it. Food. The initial realization immediately made my mouth begin to water. But then my thoughts caught up with my instincts. This wasn't any food… this was food that I didn't trust.

I still didn't fully believe that the power I had accidentally unleashed was something that I naturally contained within myself. I still felt like I was some sort of science experiment, like they had done something to me to make me this way without me knowing it.

"_Kue._" He ordered.

"What?"

"Eat. You need to regain your strength."

"What for? So I can hurt someone again?" I said. I eyed the tray suspiciously. "What is it, anyway?"

"How should I know? It's not my job to prepare your meals. I simply deliver them to make sure you maintain your health." he commented. "Eat."

"Are you not hungry?"

"I am." I admitted. "But I don't know what's in it."

"Aizen-sama would not poison you."

I subconsciously clutched my throat, almost as if I could feel that darkness in me growing again. "I wasn't always like this…" Tears brimmed at my eyes.

He ignored my statement. "You're body is fragile. You'll have to eat eventually or you will die. Do you want to die?"

I shook my head no. That seemed like enough of a response for him. Without another word, he took the lid off of the bowl, and he and the masked nameless woman left. Once again the door shut on me.

The smell of the exposed food drifted in curls of steam over to where I was, and my stomach knotted in eagerness. I waited until I was sure he was gone. It was true… I didn't want to die, and I did want to eat. But I didn't want to give him that satisfaction of seeing me give in. I wanted to resist… but at that point, I wasn't strong enough to do that. Mind over matter wasn't working. Once I was sure he was no longer around, I got up and shuffled myself over to the tray. I looked in the bowl, and noticed that it was steaming hot broth inside. It smelled good. Reminded me of when my mother would make me chicken noodle soup when I was sick. I removed the covers over the other items, and found a glass of water and a few slices of bread. It was a slim meal.

I sighed in resignation, and took a few slurps at the broth. But it was all I could muster. The air felt heavy, thick… almost like it did when Nnoitra had gotten angry. But this felt different. It felt like a blend, a cooking pot of different energies, different thickness… it swirled in and out of my body, and my arm hairs stood on end. At some parts it almost felt like something soft and delicate barely touching the skin, and at other parts it felt like a suffocating blanket. It made me feel nauseous, like I was under water being dragged, crushed, somersaulted, and then raised up by the waves.

I had to return to the couch to settle myself. I knew it would only be a matter of time until Ulquiorra returned, and I wanted to at least get some energy back before that happened.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Japanese-English Glossary:

_Haire_ - Enter

_Kue_ – Eat

Very short dictionary list, I know… I figure I won't post anything for words I've already posted in previous chapters.

Anyway, don't forget to comment/criticize/throw candy corn… whatever floats your boat, as long as I know that people are reading this. Thanks!


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

I didn't wake up again until Ulquiorra returned. He entered with the same masked woman, with his hands in his pockets as always. I sat up groggily, rubbing the sleep out of my eyes. My cape was twisted around me, and I shifted uncomfortably.

He looked at the tray with distaste. "You didn't eat."

"I couldn't." I replied.

"Why not?"

"I… don't feel well." I muttered. It was true. Even with the sleep I had managed to get, I didn't feel any better. The suffocating weight still pressed down on me, as if it were stealing what little energy I had and mingling it with the rest in the air.

He nodded at the woman, and she took the tray and left. He turned back to me. "Are you ill?"

"No…" I adjusted my cape around my body like a blanket. "I don't know what it is… I just… don't feel well."

"If you're ill then I'll have to take you to the infirmary." He stated. He stepped forward, and as he did so, the weight became heavier. I shied away from him.

"Stop it…" I muttered.

"Stop what?"

"Whatever it is you're doing. It's… too much. What's wrong with this place? I feel suffocated…"

He paused for a moment, and then something seemed to click in his head. "You're overwhelmed by my reiatsu."

"You're what??" I looked at him with confused, annoyed eyes. What was he talking about now?

"My power. The energy that I contain within myself."

"It's not just you. I feel it when you're gone too. It's not just one… it's a lot of them. It's like… a mixture. It's always changing, and it makes me dizzy."

He stood in contemplative silence for a second. Then he closed his eyes for a moment in concentration. I felt the weight lift off my shoulders, and for the first time I could think clearly. I sat up from my hunched position.

"What did you do?" I asked.

"I am using my reiatsu to fight off the presence of the others." He explained. "It will only last as long as I'm here."

"But I don't feel yours…"

"Arrancar at my level are able to control their reiatsu and focus it for specific purposes." He explained.

"Arrancar. Is that what you are?" I asked. "I thought you were a hollow."

His green eyes bore into my own for a moment, as if assessing if he should continue talking to me. I shifted uncomfortably under his gaze. "I am a type of hollow, yes. Arrancar are a powerful form of hollow made up of a collection of menos grandes."

"Menos what? Dammit, this is frustrating. I don't know anything!"

"Clearly…" he commented. I tightened my lips at him in irritation. His eyes released their hold on my own, and glazed across the room. "You'll learn over time."

"Why are there so many reiatsu, anyway?" I asked. "Something feels off about it."

His eyes returned from their leisurely stroll across my space, and fell back onto mine. "For one who doesn't know anything, you seem very perceptive. It's true, something is stirring. That substitute shinigami and his friends have come into Hueco Mundo to retrieve that woman."

"You mean Orihime?" I asked.

"I don't see the purpose in their efforts. They will clearly fail."

"At least they're making an effort…" I muttered. In my mind, one lead thought was going through my head: maybe the can rescue me too.

"Effort is pointless if you don't succeed." He commented.

"Missing by an inch is the same as missing by a mile…" I quoted.

He seemed intrigued for a moment that I had uttered words that he seemed to agree with. Which I found amusing, because I didn't really agree with him… I just happened to remember hearing that phrase somewhere.

No. On the contrary, Orihime's friends' efforts meant a great deal. Even if they didn't succeed, the fact that they tried meant something. A part of me was slightly envious that she happened to have friends powerful enough to come retrieve her. As for me, there would be no telling how long it would take before those back in Japan realized I was missing. And even then, I knew they couldn't do anything. They would never be able to find me now. My mind started to go over the memories of the last conversations I had with people, and finally my thoughts landed on my ex. Tears immediately began to fill my eyes, regardless of my desire to make them disappear. The last conversation was in anger, frustration, and pain. And he'll never even notice that I'm gone.

That hurt more than anything.

I let my hair fall and cover my face so my emotions wouldn't be visible. Not that Ulquiorra would care, of course. But he seemed a little more talkative today, and I didn't feel like answering any possible questions.

The woman with the mask returned again, wheeling in a new cart of food for me to eat.

"Since I have relieved the pressure of the reiatsu, then you are well enough to eat." Ulquiorra stated.

True, the nausea wasn't swirling in my stomach anymore, and my head wasn't spinning with the pressure of the overwhelming powers in this place. However, that meant I could think clearly again, and my resolve to not eat was stronger this time. I still didn't believe that whatever was happening to me was natural, and I would resist any possible attempts to move along this unnatural process of my evolution.

My hands tightened into fists, and I could feel my nails digging into my palms. "I don't want to eat."

"Are you still ill?" he replied.

I thought of lying for a moment, then decided against it – he would take me to the infirmary, and there was no telling what that would be like. I was not eager to find out.

"No. I just don't trust it. I don't trust the food, I don't trust Aizen, and I don't trust you."

"I do not care about having your trust." He stated coldly. "However, you are Aizen-sama's property, and you will stay alive until you serve the purpose he has assigned to you."

"I said I'm not eating."

"Must I force it down your throat?"

"I'll bite off your fingers." I threatened.

"You would try, but you would fail. Arrancar skin is too strong for a human to damage. It'll be like biting metal."

"Then I'll call upon that weird power of mine." Yeah, right. I didn't have the energy for another round of that, let alone the fact that I didn't know how to control it. It just sort of… burst out last time. I knew Ulquiorra knew this.

He sighed to himself. "You and her… so much alike. I don't understand why you resist."

"What do you mean 'resist'? Is she refusing to eat too?" I asked, my tone giving away how amused I was.

He ignored my question and continued to talk. "Your kind… you try so hard to have control. You say 'I will not eat' or 'he will not die.' It's futile. You cannot change those sorts of things. You speak in contradictions. You refuse yourself the nutrients to live, yet you try to deny death." His voice was like a deep melody. A droning, monotonous, slightly obnoxious melody.

"Sometimes there are more important things than the basics." I replied.

He let out a dignified scoff. "Like what?"

"Like self respect... free will…"

"You would be a fool to think you have either of those things." He said, raising his chin a little as he looked down at me. "_Gomi da_."

I glared at him. "I don't know much Japanese, but I'm assuming you don't think very highly of me. But obviously Aizen-sama must find me somewhat valuable to go through all this trouble."

It's pretty clear that Aizen wants to keep me alive. As long as I know that simple fact, I know that Ulquiorra is limited in what he can do to me. Granted, I don't know _how_ limited. Like if he's allowed to break bones or not.

"It has already been established that you're nothing but a tool. And once a tool is used and no longer needed, it becomes trash." He replied.

I lifted my chin at him. "The value of something depends on who's looking at it."

"There is no looking at it. You are weak. Therefore you are disposable."

"Strength comes in many forms. Not just physical." I shot at him.

"This is where you will bring up things like love. Hearts. Or maybe you'd like to talk about free will. It's all false. It doesn't exist."

"You sound awfully sure of yourself." I commented.

"I have the power to see everything. Nothing escapes it. And I cannot see these things that you humans talk about."

"Are you God?" I inquired.

He looked a little surprised by this. "No. I'm not. But my kind comes close."

"Hardly. I think you're just arrogant." I shot back at him.

Suddenly, something in the air spiked… an energy that I knew must be his. He was stronger than Nnoitra… and he was angry. "You're testing my patience. You are to eat this food, or I will force it down your throat. Or you can try to starve yourself… but we'll see how long your foolish contradicting notions help you once you start to die." He turned swiftly and began to leave.

"Ulquiorra…" I blurted out, getting his attention one last time. "It's true that I'm weaker than you. You say that makes me a disposable tool. But you are weaker than Aizen. That must make you a disposable tool, too."

He was silent for a moment. "That sounds logical."

"And you're okay with that?"

"None of us have a choice. For now." With that, he walked out, the door slamming behind him.

When he left, he took his reiatsu with him, which meant the resistance that was holding the other reiatsu away disappeared. It hit me like a ton of bricks, and I nearly buckled under the strain. I struggled to put my mind to something else, to distract me.

Immediately, the idea of singing came to my mind. It's what I always did when I was feeling overwhelmed or stressed out. I softly began to hum to myself, as I stared out the barred window at the unyielding moon. My voice sounded small and shaky at first, and I realized I hadn't used it for a while. In addition, the weight of the multiple reiatsu seemed to compress my lungs with their weight, making me incapable of getting the breath I normally needed for singing. But the longer I sang, the stronger my voice got, and the less the pressure became. My voice rang clear across the empty room and at least, for that moment, there was nothing else in the world except my voice.


End file.
